Tolland superintendent presents $49 million-plus budget proposal focused on pre-K, safety and MTSS

Tolland — Superintendent Dr. Willett presented the Tolland School District’s superintendent’s proposed budget during the Jan. 7 Board of Education meeting, describing a proposal that the superintendent characterized as “about 49,000,000, 039, and 778” and “11.8% as presented to you.” The presentation outlined new positions and programs intended to implement priorities the board set at its Nov. 20 meeting: a full-day pre-kindergarten program for 4‑year‑olds, expansion of the district’s pathways program, strengthened school safety and security (including additional school resource officers), and increased multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for students.

The proposal was informational; the board did not take a formal vote on the superintendent’s budget at the Jan. 7 meeting. Dr. Willett said the proposal preserves current staffing levels and adds resources intended to begin the priorities approved in November. “We took the base, and added to it the initiatives that were discussed,” Dr. Willett said, noting the budget documents and a public FAQ would be posted on the district website after the meeting.

The superintendent described several specific elements included in the proposal: 4.5 full‑time equivalent (FTE) pre‑K teacher positions to create a full‑day pre‑K program for 4‑year‑olds, conversion of two part‑time SROs to two full‑time SRO positions in coordination with the town, 7.5 of 31 requested positions or targeted stipends included in the superintendent’s submission, a job coach for the Talent Transition Academy (TTA), a PPT facilitator to help manage PPTs and 504 plans and improve compliance, stipends to seed an MTSS high‑school program and to manage internships tied to the pathways expansion, and a social worker position that would be 70% grant-funded with 0.3 FTE expected to be funded from the local budget.

Board members used the meeting to ask clarifying questions and to request additional, itemized cost detail. Several members said they appreciated the approach of presenting the full set of desired additions rather than a version pre‑reduced for affordability, but they asked for clearer breakdowns showing the per‑item price tags and how the proposed increases relate to contractual obligations and fixed costs such as insurance, transportation and special education. “It would be helpful to have it sort of, like, on page 8 where, well, this is the thing and this is how much it costs,” Board member Brittany said.

Board members also asked for deeper documentation about several drivers of the increase, including a roughly 19 percent insurance projection discussed in the presentation. Dr. Willett and other administrators agreed to post supporting materials to the district’s budget page and to answer detailed questions in the finance committee (FFC) and upcoming budget workshops. The superintendent reminded board members and the public that a Q&A and an evening session for the public would follow the board’s review: “6 o’clock to 7:30 is the board of ed, and then 7:30 to 8:30 is the community to do the exact same thing, be able to walk around, ask questions,” he said.

Public comment on the budget included resident George Elovich, who urged the board to be cautious about increases because of local residents on fixed incomes and uncertainty about state and federal funding. “Be very cautious what you ask for because you might not be adding anything. You might be cutting things,” Elovich said.

The board agreed to use the district’s posted FAQ and budget links to gather and post questions and answers and to hold deeper reviews in committee and workshops over the coming weeks. No changes to the superintendent’s proposal were made at the Jan. 7 meeting; the board signaled it would review the posted materials and then convene fuller discussions and votes in subsequent meetings as required by the district’s budget calendar.

Votes at the Jan. 7 meeting were limited to routine procedural items. The board approved the Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 minutes (roll call recorded in the transcript as: Jayden — Aye; Rainey — Aye; Brian — Aye; Jen — Aye; Katie — Aye; Bill — present) and later voted to adjourn (multiple members recorded as voting Aye).